Epress.am News from Armenia
A dangerous situation has been created by mercury having penetrated into the Armenian food chains. According to Ecolur.org, Armen Saghatelyan, Director of the Institute of Ecological Noosphere Studies, discussed the issue at the introductory seminar of “Initial Evaluation of Minimata Convention on Mercury in Armenia” project.
“While investigating the level of environmental pollution, we began to come across different chains of mercury pollution in the biosphere, and in some areas we discovered that mercury has already penetrated into the food chains,” said Saghatelyan. He noted that the presence of mercury has been registered in the north and south of Armenia, primarily in mining areas, as well as in Yerevan, where mercury is present in the dust, dirt, and even on mulberry fruit. On 10 October, 2013, Armenia together with 91 other countries signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Kumamoto City, Japan, however, it has not been ratified yet.
During the seminar, Armenian Minister of Nature Protection Aramayis Grigoryan gave importance to the studies of the issue of mercury in Armenia, the results of which would make Armenia’s decision to ratify the convention more clear.
Ecolur.org notes that “Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment” NGO’s research results reveal that there is mercury in cosmetic products and children’s toys sold in the Armenian market, as well as the sales of flourescent lamps have also increased in the market.
Mercury has a toxic effect on the nervous, digestive, and immune system, lungs, kidneys, skin, and on the eyes. Mercury and its compounds are especially dangerous for pregnant women, because they threaten the child’s development.